Slow Heartbeat
by snoring
Summary: Sesshomaru had promised that he would be the one to end Inuyasha's life. But when the time has come for his brother to die, is the promise sure to be kept?


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Summary:** Sesshomaru had promised that he would be the one to end Inuyasha's life. But when the time has come for his brother to die, is the promise sure to be kept?

 **A/N:** Wrote this and finished it like weeks ago. I wanted to post this earlier, but then I started working on InuKag Week, so I didn't have enough time edit it.

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 **Slow Heartbeat**

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The very familiar scent of his kin was getting closer. He strode faster, and soon found himself surrounded by the trees in the forest. With his keen senses, it wasn't too hard to locate the person he had been looking for. He turned to the left, and as expected, the scent grew much stronger from there. Who knew that after so many years of loathing towards this creature, he had found himself – dare he say – _worried_ that he would no longer see this creature again. The scent he had been sniffing was mostly surrounded by death, and it was only in a matter of time before death would claim him.

He turned his head to the side, and found said creature. There, leaning at the bark of the tree, was his half-brother, Inuyasha. A half-demon, a half-human. A creature that does not have a place in this world. Yet, there he was, alive in his adult years, but barely. For so many years, Inuyasha had lived through fighting, only to be caught by an illness that had no cure. Though, his depression may have something to do with preventing himself from healing. The priestess he married had died a few years back, along with his human companions due to old age. Once again, he was left alone, and he had wandered around the evolving world in solitude.

Sesshomaru was no different. Rin had died at seventy-three years old. She had married the boy named Kohaku, became a mother of five, and a grandmother of twelve. Her death was the only thing that had cracked his emotionless facade. Before parting from this world, she had placed her wrinkly hand over his cheek, and smiled. Then, by the slow beating of his heart, Sesshomaru could tell that her heart was failing. And just like that, she had died. He should've known. No, he _was_ aware of the consequences of caring a child he treated as his own. He did this to himself. He felt lost at first when she died, but her words – to encourage him to live happily – had motivated him.

Too bad it wasn't the same for his brother.

"Inuyasha," he said. His voice no longer held any animosity. It was just impassive.

A silver ear flicked, and the half-demon opened his eyes. His golden eyes... they expressed everything. Pain, sorrow, loneliness. Yet, he doesn't say a word to express those feelings.

"You are dying," Sesshomaru stated, knowing it was the obvious, but had no idea what else to say.

He had been visiting his brother from time to time. It wasn't as if they had a close relationship after the defeat of Naraku, but they no longer tried to kill each other. After he had discovered that Inuyasha had depression, and suffered from an uncurable illness, he decided to see his brother more often. Each visit had him planning to visit his brother again – to see how his brother was doing – but this time, this might just be his last.

"Yeah, figures," Inuyasha said weakly, and closed his eyes. He lolled his head back. "What are you doing here?"

"As usual, this Sesshomaru has visited to see your wellbeing."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't think I'm gonna live much longer," Inuyasha said with a heartbreaking laugh. He then slowly unsheathed Tessaiga, and reached it out in front of his brother. "Here."

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed. "Inuyasha, you are aware that I could not wield that sword."

"Oh... right," Inuyasha said, and sheathed the sword back. He blinked sluggishly, and looked up to his brother. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

A deep frown made its way to the demon lord's stoic face. "What do you mean, Inuyasha?"

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

His words made Sesshomaru froze. Kill him? Oh, right. That had always been his goal. He had been planning to kill his brother from the start. He even repeated the same thing over and over again. Though, although he had changed his mind and allowed his brother to live, should Inuyasha die, it was going to be by his hand.

But did he still want that?

Inuyasha coughed, and leaned his head back onto the bark of the tree. His eyes squeezed in pain, and his breathing was becoming heavier. "Don't tell me," he muttered quietly, "you don't want to kill me after all those years of telling me that?"

Sesshomaru scowled. "Do you want this Sesshomaru to kill you?"

"I dunno," he said, and shrugged weakly. " _Do_ you want to kill me?"

It was an interesting question indeed.

Sesshomaru didn't need to wait long before he reached his answer. He unsheathed Bakusaiga, and lifted it above his brother's body. Inuyasha half-opened his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. His eyes then closed, and his body seemed to relax at the knowledge that he was going to die by his hand. It baffled Sesshomaru. Why was his brother happy that he was about to get killed by him?

"Why does it please you that you are about to die by my hand, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru couldn't help but ask. It doesn't matter if his indifferent facade wasn't properly placed on his face anymore. Inuyasha was leaving from this world anyway.

"Because," Inuyasha begun, allowing a small, genuine smile to grace his lips; even if his heart was beating slower, "it means that I'm worth dying by you."

His brother's sentence halted all movements from him. Sesshomaru's grip tightened on the sword. His senses were telling him that his brother only had a few more seconds before death would take him, and if he doesn't swing his sword, then his brother would die by any other than him. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself that _this_ was what he had promised, it proved to be something hard for Sesshomaru to keep.

He focused on his brother's heartbeat.

 _Thud, thud. Thud, thud._

The beating of his brother's heart slowed.

 _Thud, thud._

And soon, there was no more.

Sesshomaru glanced at his sword, before keeping it back into its sheath. He walked closer to his brother's peaceful face, and knelt on one knee to examine it. Even if his brother was more than two hundred years now, he was still considered young in demon years. Looking at his brother's face, Sesshomaru couldn't help but push a few silver bangs that had covered his brother's eyes – the very eyes that had the same gold as him.

His hand rested on Tenseiga. The urge to heal his brother was tempting for some reason – and it was weird, considering how much he had tried to kill the very same person years ago. He looked down at his sword. He _could_ bring his brother back to life. It wasn't as if Inuyasha died out of old age, it was simply because the illness he had wasn't curable. If he used Tenseiga, Inuyasha would have a second chance in life.

But no, Inuyasha deserved to rest in peace. He wouldn't be happy to live in this world without that priestess.

Carefully, Sesshomaru lifted his brother into his arms. One arm supported the back of his brother's neck, while the other were placed under his brother's knees. Slowly, he begun walking to a place he knew where his brother wanted to be buried.

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When he came back with the half-demon in his arms, the first reaction he got from Jaken – which was unexpected – was that he found the toad's head bowed. The toad may have insulted his brother because of his half-demon status, but the toad knew when it was proper to be respectful. Wordlessly, he walked to a familiar meadow, and he caught his retainer's footsteps behind him, along with Ah-Un.

He stopped by a giant tree. Under the tree, lied three graves that belonged to Inuyasha's companions. The priestess, the slayer, and the monk. He doubt the fox was aware that Inuyasha had passed, but the news would be shared soon. He then looked over to Jaken and instructed him to start digging the ground. The toad did as he was told.

After giving his brother a proper burial beside the priestess' grave, he gave one last, long look at it. He then turned around, with a clipped, "Let's go, Jaken."

 _"I'm worth dying by you."_

Sesshomaru paused in his steps. Those words that echoed in his mind... it was his brother's final words.

"What's wrong, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder – his eyes at his brother's grave.

 _Forgive me for not killing you, Inuyasha._

It wasn't that his brother wasn't worth dying by his hand. It was just that... he felt like his brother was worth living.

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 **End.**

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 **A/N:** This was a hard one to write since it involves Sesshomaru's emotions. Still, hope you guys enjoyed it.


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